The Little Mermaid II: History Repeats
The Little Mermaid II: Fin for a Fin (title under construction) is the original The Little Mermaid sequel rewritten. It stars an older Melody and the adult son of Ursula. Story Ariel is happily living out her married life with prince Eric, but after their kingdom started attracting tourists looking for mermaids, she kept little contact with her side of the family as to reinstate Atlantica as a myth and keep its residents safe from less well-intended people. Her daughter, Melody, is kept clueless as well, but is born with a natural attraction to water and always pushes herself down in bath tubs and the sea, despite not having the lung capacity. Her almost suicidal tendencies worry Eric and Ariel, who try to distract the young child with her royal education and typical events, but Melody doesn't fit in with snooty aristocrats and can't concentrate on her work. She always shows up late and goes off doing other things, reminding Ariel of her old self. Around that same time, a cecaelia/octopid named Orson is looking for his missing mother; Ursula. He showed up for a customary family visit, but ends up moving into her abandoned home and spends years trying to learn what happened to her. When Orson happens to find a group of merchildren reinacting Ariel and Eric's victory in the last movie, he goes mad with grief and plans to make the two suffer for having killed his mother. By this time Melody is 17 years old and less of a danger to herself. Still, she hungers for the ocean and thinks that becoming a sailor is what she desires, but as the only heir to the throne, this wish is not supported by her surroundings. Ariel wonders if she's becoming like her father Triton, but Eric's support convinces her that Melody's situation is not similar to hers. They agree that telling her about the existence of merfolk won't help her restless mind, either. After a failure of a party -intended for her to meet princes for marriage- Melody spends next morning at shore feeling listless. The vengeful Orson sees his chance to offer the daughter of his enemies an invitation to sea and reveals to her the secrets that lie underwater by showing her his own octopus body. She is intrigued by his claims and willingly signs his contract in exchange for fins. Melody doesn't care to read the details and gullibly accepts Orson's summary of it, making his job pleasantly easy. As Orson is not a trained witch, the contract is an existing scroll he slightly managed to edit, awfully similar to Ariel's, as it speaks about sharing a true love's kiss within three days if the client wishes to keep their new form. The odd contract seemingly asks no trade or payment and Melody sees the transformation as a trial version. Orson earns himself the title of a friendly witch, despite his looks and behaviour. Day 1 When turned into a mermaid, Melody is ecstatic, but the large deep sea intimidates her and she's unable to choose a direction to explore. Because swimming is even more difficult, she expects Orson to help and be her guide, but he refuses to perform work that's not in his job description and leaves. Back at his mother's home, his eel Sam is waiting and expresses confusion for his strategy. She argues he could've just dragged Melody underwater back there and killed her, but Orson insists that the irony is what makes it worth it. Sam comments on how similar he and his mother are. Since Melody is unable to control her fish tail and now left by herself, he believes the three day rule won't be in her favour and she'll turn back into a human and drown anyway. Her disappearance is expected to lure her worried parents to shore, who will then receive the treatment Sam suggested for Melody -preferably when she's human and still alive to see it happen. The eel doubts he'll be that lucky. She notes him on the contract's details and is worried the attractive Melody will be found and get many pursuers to receive a true love's kiss from, but Orson doesn't believe the short time span will make anyone fall in love that quickly. Sam insists they should keep an eye on her regardless, but when Orson goes off to find her, he sees her still floating in the same spot he left her. He is angered by her lack of effort, but Melody greets his return with glee. He decides to drag her further from shore under the guise of giving her a tour, so she'll be less likely to find her way back home. Melody spots merpeople along the way and Orson thinks it'd be a good opportunity to send her off to the palace to see the upcoming singing performance there. Melody wants him to come along, but Orson explains people like him aren't welcome. The idea merpeople are racist makes her less eager to go, but Orson wants to get rid of the energetic human and says the experience is worth it. Melody enjoys the show performed by Triton's remaining daughters and feels enchanted by merpeople again, yet doesn't engage with anyone in the audience and loyally returns to the place where Orson sent her off. Orson, who was planning on spying on her after the show, is surprised to see her look him up. In addition, Melody believes he was waiting for her, which leads to the misconception that Orson is now her friend. As she still doesn't know anybody, she insists on staying at his house for the night. His objections have no effect and fall onto deaf ears. Knowing better than to enter a rage, he allows her to stalk him back to the dubious lair that, again, raises no suspicion with her and even receives a compliment. Because there is only one space available to sleep, Melody is ungraciously granted the floor, which her good mood has her accept. Day 2 On the second day, Melody gets up early to practise her swimming and destroys the room while doing so. Orson is upset to see his mother's belongings being flung around, but again takes on a passive aggressive demeanour and suggests she should go explore the sea by herself this time. Melody doesn't have the confidence to do this and asks if he can show her to where his people live. He replies the trip would exceed the duration of her transformation and she should stick with her own kind. Melody says merpeople and octopids should have no reason to be enemies and mingle freely, but Orson has nothing to say to something he disagrees with that heavily. Melody's attention goes back to the strange-looking stuff she knocked over and the appearance of the "house" itself, earning her the knowledge of his mother and how good she was. Not much else is shared, as Orson exudes an aura of irritation, but Melody doesn't pick up on it and returns a few statements concerning her own parents; mainly how they tried to keep her on a leash and are constantly worried about her, even now she's considered an adult. When she keeps pestering Sam to go with her for the day, Orson again gives in and takes her out to see various places and animals. While looking for a definite place to dump her at, Melody's curiosity peaks and she asks him why he's going through the trouble of helping her in the first place. Orson goes through his options and decides to give her a risky answer that'll get rid of her for good and allow him to wait for and ambush her parents in peace. He gives a pleasant introduction where he says anyone who loves the sea belongs there and she was destined to be a mermaid. This support is foreign to Melody and moves her. Before he can continue on with the flattery, she gives him a shameless kiss and expresses gratitude for his help and words. Orson finds the growing attachment she has for him surprising and not beneficial to his plans, thus casually ignores her kiss and explains to hr she's the daughter of a mermaid princess. This revelation shocks her and she has trouble buying her seemingly average mother was a sea creature once, but her doubt crumbles when confronted with the fact she was turned into a mermaid. Orson likes the idea of Melody drowning in front of her aunts and grandfather, and suggests she should meet them and stay at the palace. Melody is unsure about barging into an otherwise restricted zone, but he promises her face should be enough for them to know who she is and it'll prove his words are the truth. She decides to entertain these claims and heads over to the palace, but naturally isn't allowed in. Nevertheless, the guard confirms Orson's story when Melody asks him about the princess named Ariel. The discovery hits hard and her opinion on her parents worsens. Instead of pushing the guard to let her meet her forgotten family, she heads back to find Orson. Orson is waiting near shore for Eric and Ariel, but only finds castle staff looking for her. Shortly afterwards, Sam shows up to inform him Melody is looking for him crying and seemingly doesn't know the way to the lair by herself. Before she disappears off the radar or anyone else ends up being her hero, they look her up. Melody embraces Orson and Sam with great relief and tells them what she learned. Orson asks her why she isn't happy, to which she responds to have spent her whole life being told her feelings meant nothing. Her mother's hypocrisy and choice not to give her any support upset her and she decides to want to stay a mermaid. He repeats what is needed for that, but Melody can only think of asking her sea family to help her with this. As the sun has already gone down, the odd trio return to Ursula's lair. Day 3 On the third day, Melody boldly enters the "forbidden" seashell room to directly wake up Orson and have their day begin. Still groggy, Orson blurts out she should stop wasting her time with him and needs to get that true love's kiss if she wants to stay a mermaid. He flinches upon hearing himself give that warning, but Melody admits to have forgotten. When she keeps pestering Sam to go along with her, Orson again gives in and takes her out. While looking for a place to dump her, Melody asks him why he's going through all this trouble for her. Orson browses through his options and decides to use this last day to give her a good distraction that'll abuse her lack of time perception and keep his hands free to complete his revenge plan. He likes the idea of Melody drowning in front of her aunts and grandfather, and so reveals to her Ariel's origin. Melody has trouble buying her mother was a mermaid once, but her doubt crumbles when confronted with the fact she was turned into a mermaid. He suggests she should go on a family visit, and promises her face should be enough for them to know who she is. She decides to entertain his claims and heads over to the palace, but isn't allowed in for the day. Nevertheless, the guard confirms Orson's story when she asks him about the princess named Ariel. The discovery hits hard and her opinion on her parents worsens. Instead of pushing the guard to let her meet her rejected family, she heads back to find Orson to extend her time. ... It is similar to the one given to Ariel years ago, but since Orson isn't a skilled/trained user of magic, a few words were changed to make it relevant. He gave little thought to the wording in the scroll, though, and it exclaims that a "true love's kiss" is again needed in order for the client to keep their new body, but because Orson does not care about getting payment and considers the kiss to be the only requirement; the contract mistakenly wants this kiss to be given to Orson. Characters Melody Melody is the canon daughter of Ariel and prince Eric. In this version she is 17 years old, but still has her obsession with the sea. Because of her royal position, she has little to no friends. Her obsession with water is seen as awkward to outsiders and worrisome to everyone else. Ariel and Eric decided not to tell her about Atlantica, but struggle with this decision constantly, also because it meant Ariel's side of the family could no longer see her after she was a year old. When Melody learns of her mother's background, she is hurt, which makes her less eager to return home, though talking to them later on makes her realize how hard their tried to soothe her urges and why things ended up being the way they are. Melody is an upbeat, just, and loyal person, who chooses to stick around with the villainous Orson, who she sees as her saviour and guide. His appearance and curt answers never once raised suspicion with her. Even when she finds him attacking her parents, her body hesitates to cause him harm. ------- Orson Orson is the son of the late Ursula. He was conceived around the time Ursula still ruled the seas as queen. He was old enough to live on his own before the first movie began and Ursula was exiled, meaning he's at least in his mid 30s. His relationship with his mother is described to be a good and in some ways similar to the one she had with her pet eels, Flotsam and Jetsam. Ursula adored Orson, but could turn unpleasant when her patience was tested, or she'd send him away to play by himself whenever she had "business" to do. Orson was a spectator of his mother's shady practises and raised to find magic and scamming merpeople normal. She did not train him to be a witch, interestingly enough. While Ursula happened to be a surprisingly sweet mother, Orson's father left her bitter and is who caused her to have a somewhat negative opinions on men; which is heard back in the scene before Poor Unfortunate Souls makes its start, though it was targeted towards humans specifically. Orson's father was a man who disliked Ursula's vocal and playful side, and eventually her appearance started to annoy him as well. His parents separated soon after Orson's birth and his father didn't care to stay around. Orson has a serious personality, but shows of slivers of his mother's flamboyant side when he's revelling in his own success. Still he prefers silence and solitude, making it a chore for him to be around the noisy Melody. ------- Sam Sam is the younger sister of Ursula's twin eels, Flotsam and Jetsam. She was given to Orson as a departure gift and stayed his pet ever since. She has no magic eye like her brothers and doesn't qualify as a "henchman", since Orson had never devoted his life to dirty practises before he discovered his mother was killed. The death of her brothers makes her eager to seek revenge as well, though she's inclined to let Orson deal with it however he wishes to. Like him, she also appreciates silence and unapologetically swims away whenever the overly upbeat Melody shows up. Category:The Little Mermaid Category:Series